InspirAre Retreat Center is run by the married couple Alexandre and Mela Barbry in Stuckenborstel, part of the municipality of Sottrum in Lower Saxony. It lies on the edge of Ottersberg, about 25 km east of Bremen. The grounds are a garden with old trees by a river, where the family lives. Besides the family house there are small eco apartments, a wagon and a dome for group practice. The dark retreat takes place in the “little oasis”, a newly built flat in an extension of the family house. It has clay plaster, wall heating, a ventilation system and triple glazing, and is well insulated and completely blacked out. The guest stays there alone, but the hosts live right next door.
The approach is spiritual and therapeutic. Here the dark retreat is combined with the hosts‘ own method, “InspirAre Soul Technology”, which brings together inner child work, regression, work with “soul parts” and manifestation. Alexandre visits the guest every other day for 1.5–2 hours; between sessions the guest is alone in the dark, undisturbed, and can ring a bell if needed. The retreat begins with a ritual and ends with a night of integration in the light with wellness (infrared sauna, yoga, walks). It suits people in a life transition or crisis and those looking for deep inner work with guidance. For the more cautious there is the shorter “Darkness Medicine Journey”, in which the darkness is extended gradually in stages. The operators themselves write that it is neither wellness nor therapy and that they are not a psychiatric facility.
Dark retreat with coaching, 4 nights in the dark + 1 integration night: €1,190
Dark retreat with coaching, 7 nights in the dark + 1 integration night: €1,680
Dark retreat with coaching, 10 nights in the dark + 1 integration night: €2,000
Lowest price for a dark retreat with individual coaching (shorter stay): €990
Other length (1 to 49 days): individual offer
Darkness Medicine Journey (gradual stages of darkness, 2 nights): €690
Darkness Medicine Journey, 3 nights: €890
Darkness Medicine Journey, 4 nights: €1,030
English version of the website: 4 nights in the dark + 2 nights in the light, without coaching: €1,050
English version of the website: 4 nights in the dark + 2 nights in the light, with coaching: €1,500
Price includes
accommodation in a blacked-out flat just for you
half board (recommended) or full board, organic, vegetarian or vegan
filtered water and tea all day
Soul Technology coaching every other day (1.5–2 h)
opening ritual in the dark
integration night in the light with wellness (infrared sauna, gentle yoga, walks); massage at extra cost, book in advance
conversation 3 days before the retreat and a week after it
no VAT charged (small business under § 19 UStG)
Meals
included, organic vegetarian or vegan, half board (recommended) or full board, 2–3 meals a day
You prepare breakfast yourself in a small kitchenette: muesli, oat milk, yoghurt, fruit, fruit purée.
A warm lunch with a large share of raw food, together with dinner, is delivered once a day to a pass-through hatch by the accommodation.
They recommend eating a little less in the dark, but not fasting.
Water filtered by a Bestwater system and tea are available all day; hot water comes safely from a dispenser.
Length of stay
standard 4 nights in the dark + 1 integration night
Counted in nights, as in a hotel.
Shorter or longer stays (from 1 day to 49 days) by arrangement; the minimum price for a retreat with coaching is €990.
The English version of the website states that retreats often last 7, 10 or 14 nights.
The length is agreed in an initial introductory conversation.
Deposit and payment
30% of the total price, which reserves your place
The English version of the website offers payment in 2–3 monthly instalments (e.g. €1,050 as 2 × €525).
Cancellation
The website does not state cancellation terms; ask before booking.
According to the notice on the website, the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal does not apply to accommodation and leisure services with a fixed date.
Early departure: you can choose the light at any time and set the pace and limits yourself. The website does not say whether part of the price is refunded if you leave early.
Health restrictions
The website does not list contraindications; ask before booking.
The operators state that they are not a psychiatric facility nor members of any professional association. Participants enter the darkness on their own responsibility; the guides are responsible for the framework of the retreat.
Suitability for the retreat is discussed in the introductory conversation before booking.
Other conditions
A short introductory conversation takes place before booking.
Arrival from 15:00 (you can also arrive a night earlier). This is followed by a warm meal and an opening ritual in the dark: the retreat begins with blowing out a candle.
On the last day, gradual adjustment to daylight begins at 9:00; departure by 12:00.
The darkness lasts 24 hours a day. A bell is available for emergencies.
A short visit from friends is possible on the last day of integration.
What to bring: comfortable clothes, slippers, possibly your own blanket or pillow; otherwise everything is provided on site, as in an apartment.
A conversation by phone or chat is planned about 3 days before the retreat and a week after it.
Guide
Alexandre Barbry, founder of the InspirAre Soul Technology method. He trained in art therapy, Voice Dialogue, regression therapy and family constellations, has practised vipassana for over 10 years and has led courses in nonviolent communication. He has completed several long dark retreats himself and, according to the website, has been guiding in the dark for 5–7 years.
Mela Barbry is a transpersonal regression therapist (Tasso method) and regression coach; she also guides dark retreats.
Communication: in-person session in the space every other day for about 1.5–2 h, with an emergency bell in between. The website is in German and English.
Information taken from the operator's website inspirareretreats.com, last checked 9. 10. 2026. Prices and conditions may change; please confirm them with the operator before booking.. Texts are translated from Czech.
Getting to InspirAre Retreat Center Sottrum:
Location: blacked-out flat in an extension of the family house, garden with old trees by a river Parking: 0 km Train: 3,7 km Bus: 0,2 km
InspirAre Retreat Center Sottrum on the map:
Do you own this centre and would like more photos or a different description here? Contact us at info@pobytvetme.com.
InspirAre Retreat Center SottrumDELocation: blacked-out flat in an extension of the family house, garden with old trees by a riverParking: 0 kmTrain: 3,7 kmBus: 0,2 kmPrice: ≈ 5,117 CZK/night€1,680 for an 8-night package (7 in the dark + 1 integration) = €210 per night incl. meals and coaching; 4+1 nights for €1,190 = €238 per night
How to book InspirAre Retreat Center Sottrum
Book directly with the operator: website inspirareretreats.com, phone and WhatsApp +49 1520 5614712, phone +49 4264 8357060, e-mail info@wirfairtrauen.de.
If they are fully booked, you can use these free dates at Léčba tmou near Kutná Hora. These are not dates of InspirAre Retreat Center Sottrum, but of the centre in Lomec near Kutná Hora (Czechia):
Svatyně klidu is available from 17.10.2026 Book 3 nights
Svatyně zdraví is available from 17.10.2026 Book 3 nights
